Hackley eventually moved to Illinois, so after 2 1/2 years, the paper ran out of accounts of Hackley’s walks and baths and dosing his children with medications. The Monroe County Public Library in Key West marked his departure with a presentation and a party, complete with a cake listing some of Hackley’s most frequent activities (according to the diary): “Rose at 4:30. Walked to the salt ponds, returned home. Bathed.”

Jill Keeler came to the party to learn more about Hackley and his life in Key West. She said following his Key West life was like a soap opera.

Locals were intrigued with trying to trace Hackley's daily walks, his occasional shooting of birds and the illnesses and cures he and his family went through.

“I’ve been trying to figure out some of the mysteries - never did really, till the end, learn the names of his kids,” she said. “You looked forward to finding a new clue.”

William Hackley was done with Key West in 1857, but Key West may not be done with Hackley. Starting this fall, Hambright plans to run diary excerpts from 1830, when Hackley was young and single.